Yellowface by R. F. Kuang – Book Review
“This is cancel culture gone deadly” -Yellowface
This book explores the brutal cut-throat world of the publishing industry from multiple angles. June Hayward changes her name to Juniper Song and manipulates her appearances in the media to pose as the same race as her recently deceased Asian American colleague. Upon her death, June steals her book plans and publishes it as her own. June will stop at nothing to promote the book, performing “Yellowface” to reach fame and fortune in an industry that, she claims, now favours only the “diverse” members of the population.
What I liked about the book is its criticism of the facade that all the characters put on in order to reach the top of their field. June performs “Yellowface”, Athena fakes a British accent and plays up her past traumas to garner attention for her books, and Candice puts on disguises to trick stories out of people to profit off of.
The publishing industry and social media seems to have become more concerned with profiting off of diversity and encouraging people to leverage racial profiling for more sales, rather than genuinely caring for individuals and their real stories.
I also found it ironic and telling when Kuang makes commentary about authors and books that only make it to the top when they play into certain racial stereotypes, and then this book hits the top of the charts. She sure knows the industry!
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